Digital Commerce

learning objective

Understanding of the problems and benefits of purchasing goods and services online

Identify potential online scams vs. legitimate offers.

Understand the risks of identity theft through online commerce.

Know what steps to take to avoid identity theft of report and how signs of theirs being stolen.

Digital commerce overview

According to Ribble (2015), Harris Interactive reported that America's youth age 8-24 spent $220 billion online in 2009. By now, 2016, one could only assume that number has grown. With that amount of spending taking place, consumers need to be educated on how to navigate the online world of shopping. Unfortunately, online commerce can be a haven for illegitimate offers and scams that steal people's money and even their identity. According to CNN Money, identity fraud hits a new victim every two seconds, and was responsible for over $18 billion dollars stolen from victims. The FBI website provides viewers with tips on how to avoid common types of internet fraud.While schools and universities may see this as someone else problem, it is important to their students. By incorporating lessons about digital commerce and providing accurate information about how to participate responsibly, educators can help protect the safety and economic well-being of their students.

Personal Connections

At some point while surfing the internet we have all encountered advertising designed to catch our eye, some even targeting us specifically. How did they do that? How did they know I was looking for a new bicycle? Online commerce has become extremely sophisticated to the point where a person's location and browsing habits are placed in an algorithm to create these "convenient" ads. It's big business that can easily take advantage of the unsuspecting. Often those who are taken are the elderly and the young. My in-laws do their best to stay current with today's technology (heck, they have iPhones), but unfortunately it is still an unfamiliar, sometimes dangerous world for them. It is not uncommon them to ask me for help with something "strange" happening to their computer. When I check it, I find that there are numerous open icons in the task bar and even more pop-ups on the screen; most of which being opened because of some "ad" that told them that their virus protection was inadequate, or that they needed to update something. All or which just attempts to get them to naively inquire further or pay for something unnecessary. Helping them to better understand the commerce element of digital citizenship helps them to avoid future scams like these.

Connections to field and/or discipline

Regardless of age, gender, race, etc., anyone can fall prey to online scams that attempt to steal money or identity. As educators that rely on the digital tools to teach, learn, and make a living, we all have a vested interest in having an internet that is safe for commerce, as well as learning. Problems that arise from not being an informed, vigilant digital citizen can haunt someone for years. Educated students (and citizens) can avoid major problems later, and perhaps even make the prospect of online fraud less attractive to would-be criminals.

So what do we tell students to watch for in order to shop safely and avoid scams? According to Kimberly Palmer of U.S. News and World Report, people should do the following:

Avoid suspicious websites - If a website suffers from poor design or multiple pop-up windows, it might not be a legitimate retailer. To stay safe, stick with big-name retailers or, on smaller sites, familiar payment systems, such as PayPal.

Don't click hyperlinks in emails- A common scam involves sending emails that ask the recipient to click on a hyperlink or open an attachment and then enter personal information, such as bank account numbers. The Better Business Bureau recommends ignoring any emails that make these kinds of requests.

Keep your social security number to yourself - Fraudulent emails and fake websites sometimes request Social Security numbers. Legitimate businesses almost never make such requests. Shoppers should not share this information online.

Stick with plastic - Credit cards usually come with extra fraud protection, which means consumers might be able to get their money back if they fall victim to fraud. Shoppers should contact their card company at the first sign of a scam.

Use strong passwords - Retail sites often ask for passwords at checkout. Using the same password across multiple accounts, including financial accounts, can leave you at risk for password break-ins. For important accounts, use only secure passwords that are long and difficult to guess.

Ok, so just when it seems like digital commerce is risky, the positives should also be shared. If one adheres to the tips on staying safe online, according to eBay they can easily reap the following benefits:

Save Time – Do you have the specific list that you want to buy? With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can purchase your shopping orders and instantly move to other important things, which can save time.

Save Fuel – The market of fuel industries battles from increasing and decreasing its cost every now and again, but no matter how much the cost of fuel are it does not affect your shopping errands. One of the advantages of shopping online is that there is no need for vehicles, so no purchase of fuel necessary.

3. Comparison of Prices – The advanced innovation of search engine allows you to easily check prices and compare with just a few clicks. It is very straightforward to conduct price comparisons from one online shopping website to another. This gives you the freedom to determine which online store offers the most affordable item you are going to buy.

4. 24/7 Availability – Online shopping stores are open round the clock of 24/7, 7 days a week and 365 days. It is very rare to find any conventional retail stores that are open 24/7. The availability of online stores give you the freedom to shop at your own pace and convenience.

​5. ​​Easy to Search Merchandise You Want to Buy – You are able to look for specific merchandise that includes model number, style, size, and color that you want to purchase. In addition, it is easy to determine whether the products are available or out of stock.

NPR broadcasts

Victims of social security number theft find it hard to bounce backFebruary 9, 2015

​Victims explain how they discovered that their identity had been stolen and the worries and struggles they encounter with employment, health care insurance, and financial matters. Best advice is to be vigilant and check your records frequently.

Child ID theft is more common than you think, and can go undetected for years since a child's identity and credit is rarely checked. After many failed attempts to get help from the Social Security Office and law enforcement, their state's attorney general got involved. An estimated 10% of of children are victims of identity theft. There are now several ways to enroll children in credit protection programs to help prevent them from being a victim.

Black Friday shopping was reportedly a little less frenetic and crowded this year. Many people stayed home to shop online. And some of those who did show up at, you know, stores, as they're called, used their phones to try to get the best deals while they stood in line. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports on how the smartphone is taking some of the frenzy out of Black Friday.

References

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society of Technology in Education.http://www.ebay.com/gds/Advantages-of-Online-Shopping-and-its-Disadvantages-/10000000177896151/g.html​​http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/06/pf/identity-fraud/​http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/10-ways-to-avoid-online-scams/2